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February 20, 2018I know, you’re probably wondering why a weekly Ohio State Buckeyes basketball column has very little to do with the scarlet and gray, let alone the fact that it has to do with Ohio State’s biggest rival. But, in attendance for Sunday afternoon’s game between the Buckeyes and Michigan Wolverines in Ann Arbor, I couldn’t resist writing about a moment that was chill-worthy and gave me goosebumps. A moment that truly put basketball and sports in perspective—again.
Throughout every sports season, there are moments that make you realize that sports and games are just that; a game. Yeah, sports are vitally important to its teams and fans and blogs like ours wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for them, but, in the grand scheme of things, sports are just a fun, entertaining way to pass time and make a living. In college basketball, there are plenty of moments that put life and sports in perspective. Jimmy V Week and Coaches vs. Cancer are two scheduled items during the season to remind us. Sunday afternoon was another example there are far more important things in life than sport.
The Wolverines were celebrating Senior Day prior to their game against Ohio State. Just another time to celebrate players playing their last home game at their school. An event that happens in both high school and college. There were plenty of cheers for all of the seniors, louder ones for the most popular ones.
However, the loudest ovation came when Austin Hatch’s name was announced. The ordinary college basketball fan most likely doesn’t recognize that name. Some Michigan fans may not even know who he is. Yet, the moment Hatch’s name was announced and the moments directly afterwards mattered far more than the final result of the game.1 When Hatch’s name was announced in the Crisler Center, every person in the arena gave him a long, well-deserved standing ovation. Every fan in maize and blue stood and cheered. Every fan in scarlet and gray stood and cheered. Every attendee stood together to honor something bigger than the sport itself.2
Prior to playing for the Wolverines, Hatch had already gone through multiple events in his life the majority of us have never gone through once, let alone twice. His story is unlike any other in college sports. In 2003, Hatch survived a plane crash that killed his mother and two siblings. Both he and his father, the pilot of the small plane, survived the accident after his dad threw him from the wreckage. Eight years later, in 2011, he survived another plane crash, one in which his father, the pilot of the small plane (again), and stepmother were both killed. The most recent wreck forced him to go into a medically induced coma for eight weeks due to a traumatic brain injury, a broken collarbone, and punctured lung. But, most importantly, he was still alive.
The second accident came two weeks after the 6-foot-6 wing from Fort Wayne, Indiana committed to Michigan. It was a tragic, yet remarkable, story. At just 16 years old, Hatch had survived two plane crashes that had killed everyone in his immediate family. He was still somehow expected to go on, live life, and play basketball for the Wolverines.
Despite the coma and his injuries, Michigan head coach John Beilein made it clear Hatch would be included in the 2014 recruiting class and receive a full scholarship. The forward ended up playing five games during the 2014-15 season, scoring his first (and only) point of his college career on December 22, 2014. Unfortunately, Hatch was only on the team during his freshman season and served as a student assistant for the basketball team since taking a medical hardship scholarship at the end of the 2015 season. Stepping away from basketball allowed him to focus on his future beyond the sport. Seven years after the second accident, his recovery– physically, mentally, and emotionally– has been quite difficult, as many can expect. With that said, Hatch is making the most of the fact that he (somehow) survived not only one but two plane crashes before he even graduated high school.
Although he had stepped away from the game in terms of being a player, on Michigan’s Senior Day, Beilein allowed Hatch to suit up, go through pregame warm-ups, and sit on the bench for Sunday’s game against the Buckeyes. Let’s take a look at him going through warmups and being included in introductions.
Austin Hatch is full uniform for warm ups on his Senior Day for Michigan, should be a very special day. pic.twitter.com/6GqGMQc27F
— Tom Eschen (@TomEschenJr) February 18, 2018
https://twitter.com/umichbball/status/965348045377490945
What happened prior to tipoff was a moment that was both chill- and goosebump-worthy. Hatch not only received the loudest ovation when his name was called, but the team surrounded him once the PA announcer was done describing Hatch’s time at Michigan.
What a special #SeniorDay for Austin Hatch pic.twitter.com/CI5WK3HqI7
— Tom Eschen (@TomEschenJr) February 18, 2018
In a video prior to Hatch taking the court for the final time before game, his teammates said his positive attitude and backstory have served as an inspiration for the Wolverines over the past four years. Even without actually playing, he was still helping his team win games. Being named an honorary captain for his last home game was the perfect way to end his time and maize and blue. He was able to talk to the fans following the game.
“They say the ultimate measure of a man is how he treats a man who could never repay him.” – Austin Hatch, addressing the crowd here at Crisler pic.twitter.com/t0tzSEmiA9
— Max Marcovitch (@Max_Marcovitch) February 18, 2018
“Obviously a unique situation, a tough situation, but I wouldn’t change anything about my four years here and that all comes back to you guys,” Hatch said.
“They always say the ultimate measure of a man is how he treats someone who can’t repay him… I’ll never be able to repay coach Beilein and the staff and everyone, but I’m extremely grateful and I’ve done my very best to show my appreciation.”
Ohio State lost this particular basketball game on this particular Sunday afternoon in Ann Arbor, but being any part of Hatch’s inspirational story allowed every single person at the Crisler Center to be winners.